Material identification

[worker0]

Heloo friends,
I got some pigtails from WISP. It is high grade quality equiepment. I wanted to cut just endings/connectors of pigtails and noticed that under plastic is protective mesh. Ibwas thinking that it is Aluminum until I heated it up on fire lighter. Under mesh is piece of white insulation, and in it is some magnetic piece of silverish wire. I would like to know is it possible that mesh is gold plated? Again say golden color appears on flashlight and when picture it with flashlight. Otherwise is silver and noticable little little yelow colour.

https://ibb.co/4stmj2x
https://ibb.co/X7cbCjD

Thanx

 

[galenrog]

I do not follow links to outside image storage. Learn to post images here. My grandchildren can do it, so you can, too.

Bases on your description, I would say you have common shielded cables. Assuming that WISP means “wireless internet service provider”, this explanation makes sense. Shielded cables are used to protect data lines from spurious signals and other interference, keeping the data clean.

The shielding can be a variety of materials that can do the job. Plated copper is common. A few thin steel alloy strands give the cable added strength. Again, quite common.

Gold color can come from a variety of metals and alloys, so actual gold plating is not out of the question, but if not on connector pins, is doubtful. Without clear, detailed images of what you are seeing, I can not offer an opinion.

Time for more coffee.

 

[worker0]

Ok i post pics here, no problem. I know how to do it, just dont want to waste forum storage.

WISP - Yes, I mean Wireless Internet Service Provider.

I know that there is a lot of different kind of alloys and color can variate. But this makes me sceptic...

English is not my native language so can you please write this simpler:

"Gold color can come from a variety of metals and alloys, so actual gold plating is not out of the question, but if not on connector pins, is doubtful. "

I understand what you mean but for any case to be clear.
Try to zoom images as much as possible

Thank you.

 

[Geo]

The top 2 photos appear to be silver plated copper wire. The connectors are lightly gold plated inside and outside.

 

[galenrog]

Just common shielded cable. As Geo just posted, silver plated copper shielding. Connector is gold plated inside and out. How much gold? I do not know. Best to let someone who has processed similar connectors add their comment. Personally, I let these items accumulate until I have several kilograms and have a local do toll refining for me.

Time for more coffee.

 

[philddreamer]

I've run into this type of connectors and wires... some, silver plated wires.
The connectors, like Geo stated, light gold plating. I ran a test of these by melting and flaking one pound of them; ran thru PMAR and the result was .5g of gold. Results could vary!

Phil

 

[worker0]

It confuses me. Yelow color on cable appears only on pieces which I "heat" with fire lighter.

I have about 1,2 KG of this connectors. Only 0.5g ? In this case IC chips yield more. I dont expect much but 2-2.5g Is ok for me.

 

[Geo]

Thin silver oxidizes (tarnishes) when heated. Silver has a yellow luster.

 

[worker0]

So... Mesh is silver plated probably?

And can someone help me about next pieces. Are they worth collecting? I also have lot of mlcc's but Im not interested for platinum/paladium. In blue one is silver somebody stated here on forum. Does anyone know yield if it is true? Transistor ( first from left side ) have 3 legs, one just broke when i was removing them.

 

[Geo]

The mosfet or gate (can't really tell) may have a very small amount of gold. In my understanding, it should have two gold bonding wires per. It should also have a small amount of silver per. Even though I have processed them by the bucket full, I do not record starting weights unless specifically asked to by the person I am processing for. The weight I am most concerned about is the final weight and making sure everything is accounted for. The final weight on those components are miserably low compared to IC chips.

Yellow box is a relay. It will have a small copper coil and a set of contact points. The points will be some alloy of silver/cadmium, silver/palladium, silver with gold plating, silver with palladium plating. The actual points will be very small.

Blue disk. Ceramic capacitor. Could contain silver but most likely will contain magnesium oxide.

Brown? the picture gets very fuzzy but also looks like a ceramic capacitor. No PM value.

 

[g_axelsson]

Yellow is an aluminium film capacitor, not worth anything.

And I don't think the braided copper mantle is silver plated. Tin would be a much more probable choice. Add a drop of HCl and if it's tin it will dissolve.

Göran

 

[worker0]

Thank you all.

Does anybody know average yield of gold plated fingers from RAM slot on motherboard and IDE connectors.

Also I have about 350 grams of wires from image for now.

Sorry for bad imagr quality. I know it looks like camera was shaking on some parts, but this is bad Auto Focus.

Thank you

 

[Lino1406]

Around 0.4 - 0.8 o/00 (promil) w/w

 

[worker0]

Around 0.4 o/00

How do you mean? You mean 0.4 % or 0.04% of mass ?

 

[Geo]

Yellow is an aluminium film capacitor, not worth anything.

You are most likely correct. I can't see the leads and can't make out the writing. Two leads is a capacitor while more than two leads would be a relay.

 

[worker0]

Yelow is capacitor, I just didnt know is there any PM.

 

[kurtak]

Yelow is capacitor, I just didnt know is there any PM.

Not absolutely sure but the yellow one "may" be a tantalum capacitor

If so they are worth saving & selling with other tantalum capacitors

Kurt

 

[Geo]

Yelow is capacitor, I just didnt know is there any PM.

Not absolutely sure but the yellow one "may" be a tantalum capacitor

If so they are worth saving & selling with other tantalum capacitors

Kurt

If it is tantalum, it is directional and will have the polarity marked on it somewhere to indicate +/- polarity. It may simply be a stripe on one side or the other to indicate positive position.

 

[g_axelsson]

It's not a tantalum capacitor. It's an aluminium film capacitor, a mains filter capacitor as the triangular symbol on the side is a dead giveaway.
You find them just inside the power inlet in power supplies.
https://www.allaboutcircuits.com/technical-articles/safety-capacitor-class-x-and-class-y-capacitors/

Break it apart and you will see the roll of aluminium and plastic or paper.

Anyone thinking it's valuable can have the one kilo from dimmer packs I replaced last week. Just pay the postage. :wink:

Göran

 

[worker0]

Thank you goran. How to test do blue ceramic disc caps
contain silver?